Wednesday, July 28, 2010

THE MOTHER OF ALL STARBUCKS ...!

From the moment I woke up in Bellevue this morning, I was like a man on a mission. "Here I am," I thought, "in Starbucks' own backyard. I cannot leave here without visiting the source of all Starbucks." And so it was that after a day of intensive meetings at Microsoft, I jumped in a cab and zipped to the site of the very first Starbucks at Pike Place in Seattle. Let me tell you, I couldn't have been more excited if I was going to see the Oracle at Delphi. "Howdy," I said to the Barista on Duty, "This doesn't look like an ordinary Starbucks." "It's not," she said, "This is the first Starbucks so it's a lot smaller than most." Indeed it was. There wasn't even a pastry case. "I'll have a Grande Half Caff and an Apple Fritter," I said, smiling. "We're all out of decaff and we don't have any Apple Fritters," she said. "Oh," I replied, "Then make it a full-fledged caffeinated cup of coffee and an Apple Fritter." "We don't sell pastries here, sir," she said. "What?!?," I replied, "No Fritters?!? ... How is this possible?!?" On and on we went, until at last I jumped back in my cab and headed to the airport. If any of you find yourselves in Seattle, I highly recommend a trip to the world's first Starbucks ... and tell them I sent you. It's a great place to fritter away a few minutes ...!